Apparatus for feeding and attaching labels



Jan. 7, 1969 KAPLAN 3,420,172

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND ATTACHING LABELS Filed Oct. 9, 1967 Sheet of 2 INVE TOR. [KW/V6 APZ 41v Jan. 7, 1969 KAPLAN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND ATTACHING LABELS Sheet Filed Oct. 9, 1967 INVENTOR. {RV/N6 KAPLAA/ ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,420,172 Patented Jan. 7, 1969 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for feeding and attaching labels, and particularly labels which are attached to a tape and are adapted to be stripped therefrom and successively attached to articles. The device includes a pair of plates carrying a projecting handle. A supply roll is rotatively mounted between the plates and the label-bearing tape is drawn therefrom and is passed between guiding elements to an applicator roller whereat the labels successively leave the tape for application, the tape continuing to a feed roller and proceeding out of the device. The device also includes indexing means for insuring the correct feeding of the labels and it can optionally have a printing head that is operative by the movement of a finger piece which, with or without the printing head, is effective to cause feeding of proper length of the tape on each stroke of the finger piece.

The present application is a continuation-impart of copending application Ser. No. 480,412, filed Aug. 17, 1965, now abandoned.

The present invention is directed to an apparatus for feeding and printing labels and for attaching the same to various items and, more particularly, to an improved structure for the purpose.

Devices intended to feed labels and place them on various articles have been known and used. While they have accomplished the purpose, there have been a number of disadvantages inherent therein. Most of such devices were heavy and clumsy and the mechanisms thereof were relatively complicated. Also they were expensive to produce and because of the mechanisms, they tended to get out of order at frequent intervals. Furthermore, such devices generally did not function properly over long periods of time.

The present invention is intended and attempts to overcome the disadvantages and difiiculties inherent in devices of the above-stated character, it being among the objects of the present invention to provide a label feeding and attaching device which is comparatively simple in construction and efficient in operation.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to devise an application of the type described wherein there is a minimum of mechanism and which is light in weight and easily operated by one hand.

It is further among the objects of the invention to provide a mechanism which is capable of efliciently feeding labels and imprinting them so that it becomes quite convenient and easy to print and apply labels simultaneously.

It is still further among the objects of the invention to device means for realigning the labels in case they tend to go off register.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for feeding a tape which carries said labels such that slippage thereof is practically eliminated so as to insure that printing of said labels is accurate.

In practicing the invention there is provided a body which includes a hand grip for easy handling and manipulating. There is also provided a feed roll incorporating therein a slip clutch which engages in one direction and slips in the other and which is readily operated through a finger or trigger grip and a pistol or hand grip adjacent to the finger grip. The device is adjustable in order to feed various sizes of labels and the feed thereof is positive without any danger of slippage.

There is provided a knurled pressure roll which contacts a feed roll covered with a soft rubbery surface. The knurls are preferably of the diamond type and are sufficiently sharp so that they cut into and through the silicone coated paper tape in order to provide proper and uniform traction without slippage.

When printing on individual die-cut labels on a tape, it is important that the imprint appear centered on the label. It is objectionable to have the printing off-center or partly on two adjacent labels. In the manufacture of pre-cut, diecut labels, it is not always possible to have all the labels of exactly the same length, and tolerances creep in. In the present invention, in such instances, simple means are provided to adjust the amount of feed to place the labels back on register.

The invention is more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings constituting a part hereof and in which like reference characteristics indicate like parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus for feeding labels in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view thereof with the cover removed to show the mechanical feature of the apparatus;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in crosssection of the miniature clutch and its mounting on the base with its relation to the finger or pistol grip;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5, and showing some details of construction; FIG. 7 is a plan view of the tape and labels thereon;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention wherein a printing head is incorporated therein;

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view thereof with the cover removed and the printing head in printing position;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary front elevational view thereof with the printing head in inoperative position; and

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11--11 of FIG. 9.

Referring to FIGS. 1-7, the device has a flat base 1 having an extension 2 depending therefrom and con- Stituting the hand grip. Tape 4 has on its surf-ace a series of labels 5, the ends of which have a line of contrasting color. Feed roll 3 mounted on base 1 carries the roll of tape which is fed under indicator pin 6 which is visible from above. The line of color on the ends of the labels registers with pin 6 showing that the feed of labels is correct. Guide 7 cooperates with pin 6 to place the tape under tension.

Tape 4 passes under stud 8 and over stud 9 and sharply reverses its direction as shown at 4'. Bar 9' insures that the labels separate from the tape and continue in the line of movement as shown at 5'. Block 10 cooperates with bar 9' so that the label is guided past roller 12. At the lower tip of base 1 is a pivot 11 carrying a rubber or other soft elastic roller 12 which serves as a tool for pressing the labels onto the desired surfaces.

Between feed roll 3 and roller 12 is a pivot 13 carrying a miniature slip clutch 14 and a feed roll 15, the surface 15' of which has a soft friction covering. As shown in FIG. 4, the label-tape combination 5 at the left contacts the feed roll 15 so that friction therewith insures that the progress of the combination will continue smoothly.

The tape passes into contact with covering then between said covering and pressure roll 16 mounted on pivot 17. The pressure roll is knurled so as to press into the smooth or slick face of the tape and prevent slippage thereof. After passing the pressure roll, the tape then proceeds between members 18 and 19 through channel formed between them and then out of the apparatus and is discarded.

The diamond knurl on pressure roll 16 has the important function of puncturing the tape 4 because of the diamond points of the knurl. This eliminates the necessity of undue pressure of the pressure roll against the rubber coated feed roll 15. Excessive pressure at this point is capable of causing slip clutch 14 to backlash, thereby disrupting the uniform feed of the labels. The combination of the sharp knurls and the soft surface of the feed roll is essential for proper feed.

A finger piece or grip 21 extends downwardly from the base to a point close to hand grip 2. Finger piece 21 is integral with plate 22 and a spring 23 has one end 24 attached to base 1 and the other end to plate 22 at 25, whereby the finger grip is automatically retracted to the left into operative position. Within hand grip 2 is a threaded block 26 through which passes a screw having a head 27 which is turned to advance or retract the screw. The free end 28 thereof is adapted to be contacted by finger grip 21 when it is in its most advanced position shown at 21. The stroke of the finger piece is readily adjusted to coincide with the length of the label by noting indicator pin 6 and its position relative to the line at the end of the label.

To protect the mechanism, there is provided a cover 30 on base 1. Threaded socket 31 in the center of feed roll 3 receives the threaded portion of thumb nut 32 to hold the cover in place. A hole 32' in cover 30 receives the end of pivot 11.

Referring to FIGS. 8-11, tape 4 carrying labels 5 passes under guide pin 32 and over arcuate plate 33 having a fiat face 33'. Guard 34 on extension 35 of actuator disk 36 integral with finger grip 21 has inking pad or roller 37 adjacent thereto and mounted on extension 35. The guard prevents accidental smearing of ink onto other elements.

Printing head 38 is mounted on arm 39 which is pivoted at 40 to base 1. Coil spring 41 has one end fixed on pin 32 and the other end 42 secured on arm 39 to bias the printing head towards the labels. Cam 43 contacts follower 44 on arm 39. Head 38 fits into notch 38 in cover 30.

In operation, the printing head is in the position shown in FIG. 9. As finger grip 21 is retracted, disk 36 rotates and cam 43 moves to the left over follower 44 so that inking roller 37 passes over and inks the type on the printing head 38, as shown in FIG. 10. As finger grip 21 is released, it moves to the left and cam 43 moves to the right causing the inking roller to again pass over the type to ink it. Then, under the action of spring 41, head 38 moves down into contact with label 5 and prints thereon while the tape is stationary. When the type is to be reset, the head is rotated in the direction of arrow 45 so that spring 41 is to the right of pivot 40 to hold the head in convenient position for changing the setting of the type.

Numerous advantages are inherent in the invention. The device is quite simple, there are a minimum of moving parts, the several elements are readily accessible, and it is highly reliable without the difficulty of going out of order. In case the labels on the tape should go out of register, it is a simple matter to adjust the stroke of the finger grip to realign the labels. In the manufacture of the tape-label strip, tolerance creeps in and it is quite difficult for the manufacturer to always make the labels and their spacing of exactly the correct length. The present invention readily corrects such tolerances.

Although the invention has been described setting forth two specific embodiments thereof, the invention is not to be limited thereby, as various changes in the details may be made within the spirit of the invention. It is to be broadly construed and is not to be limited except by the character of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for feeding and attaching labels comprising a support, a tape supply roll carried thereby, said supply roll carrying said labels on the face of said tape, said labels to be detached from said tape and applied to an article, a feed roller for contacting said tape after said labels are detched therefrom, a rotatable disk pivoted on said feed roll, a finger piece extending from said disk, a miniature slip clutch for coupling said disk to said feed roller, a resilient friction surface on said feed roll contacted by said tape over an area, and a pressure roll contacting said tape at said area, a printing head pivoted on the support, spring means for urging the printing head toward the labels on the tape, an arm extending from the disk and provided with a cam surface, said arm carrying an inking roller, a follower on the printing headengaged by the cam surface on swing of the arm in two directions, the inking roller contacting with the printing head on both the forward and backward swing of the arm.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said pressure roll is knurled and the pressure thereof on said feed roll causes distortion of said tape to provide positive feed of said tape.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the knurl is sufiiciently sharp to cut through said tape.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spring means is effective to hold the printing head in a nonoperative, type-setting position when the printing head is swung on its pivot to the limit of its swing in one direction.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said labeltape passes over a plate as it leaves said supply roll, said printing head contacting said labels while they are on said plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 141,336 7/1873 Dyer 101291 1,871,993 8/1932 Hubbard 101-297 3,265,553 8/1966 Kind et al 10l288 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 139,021 10/ 1950 Australia.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

CLIFFORD D. CROWDER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 156-3 84 

